


Country Magic #14 - One of the Good Ones

by olivejuice28



Series: Country Magic [14]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: EWE, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Pining, Post Hogwarts, eighth year
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-14
Updated: 2020-09-14
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:33:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26461231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/olivejuice28/pseuds/olivejuice28
Summary: Based off the song "One of the Good Ones" by Gabby Barrett. Theo reflects on his relationship with Luna and the future that lies ahead.*This one-shot is connected to another, much longer, story of mine entitled "A Thousand Words," and is a glimpse at the budding relationship between these two characters. This mini chapter takes place the summer after graduation, before the sequel ("Filling the Pages") begins. Would love for you to check out the series and see their story in full :)
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy, Luna Lovegood/Theo Nott
Series: Country Magic [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1518281
Comments: 3
Kudos: 18





	Country Magic #14 - One of the Good Ones

**Country Magic #14**

**One of the Good Ones ~ By Gabby Barrett**

Theo sat on the low stone wall at the edge of the back garden and considered the oddly shaped house in front of him. It stood alone on the top of a sloping hill, surrounded by fields of tall, waving grasses and gnarled old trees. At the base of the knoll, on the western edge of the property, ran a sizeable stream - deeper and wider than it first appeared. The constantly flowing water, combined with the ever-present birdsong and the whispering breeze through the leaves, created a pleasant symphony of natural music.

He knew, at that moment, inside the rook-like dwelling, the banging and clattering of Xeno’s archaic printing press could be heard from the second floor, while Luna’s gentle humming accompanied the bubbling and stirring of whatever she was cooking in the kitchen below. There were also a number of interesting creatures currently residing in the Lovegood’s home, so it wasn’t unusual for a random squawk or burst of chattering to rent the air. Theo smiled as he heard a particularly loud bang come from somewhere within the walls, and gave a contented sigh. If there was one thing he loathed more than anything else, it was silence.

Growing up an only child in a large manor house meant lots of empty rooms and very little noise. When he was small, he preferred to stay near his mother, even if she was busy writing letters or planning another high society event, simply for her presence and the quiet sounds that came with it. If she was unavailable, he would seek out the elves, who were always happy to slip him a treat or two and let him linger while they worked. His favorite memories came from afternoons spent at the Greengrass estate, where he, Daphne, and Astoria would play for hours on end - outside, inside, running around and giggling until they were red-faced and exhausted.

After his mother died, Daphne’s family invited him over as often as possible, and he welcomed the diversion from the miserable tomb his own house had become. While his father had never been particularly involved in his upbringing, he was even further removed after his wife passed, leaving the care of his son to the elves. Young Theo would wander the silent halls for entire days, stopping in random rooms to look at all the ornate furniture and antique knick-knacks, but he never touched anything. He made the mistake of sliding a chair over by a window once, so he could have a view of the perfectly manicured garden while he read a book. He’d brought a pillow and blanket along from one of the guest bedrooms, as well, and when his father had found him just before dinner, he’d been scolded for making a mess and sent straight to bed. He never laid a finger on anything outside his own rooms again after that, and eventually went so far as to request his meals be sent up there. The elves took pity on him and did as he asked, and eventually he was only forced to endure one or two meals a month with his glowering, taciturn father.

Shaking his head to clear it from the gloomy memories, Theo looked fondly at his current surroundings. _This_ garden was an overgrown collection of wildflowers, vegetables, potion ingredients, and a handful of plants he had never seen before, including one that seemed to be sprouting tiny purple globes, similar in size to cherry tomatoes, but the vines were yellow with dark orange leaves. He loved every inch of the wild and untamed place almost as much as he loved the free-spirited, fairy-like witch who’d claimed his heart in recent months. Luna was most assuredly one of a kind, and he absolutely adored her. At first, he’d been more than a little afraid of his growing attachment to her, doubting whether or not such a kind, sweet soul would ever even consider getting involved with someone as messed up as him; someone with the kind of dark, heavy baggage he came with. But Luna was a lot tougher, a lot stronger, and a lot more persistent than most people realized or gave her credit for, and she refused to let his self-doubt and emotional constipation become a wall for him to hide behind.

“Life is simply too short, Theo,” she’d told him one evening as they’d shared a table in the Hogwarts library. “Whether we live to be forty, or one hundred and forty, it will still be too short, and there will still be missed opportunities and dreams left unfulfilled. We need to grab the ones we’ve been given with both hands and hold on tight, you know?”

And he did know. In that moment, he knew that his life had already been irrevocably altered by the ethereal beauty beside him, and he wasn’t about to waste whatever chance fate was handing him. He peered into her sparkling blue eyes for a heartbeat or two before leaning in and capturing her lips in a whisper soft kiss. When he pulled back, she was gazing at him with an unfathomable expression and for a soul-crushing second he thought he’d ruined everything. But then she cupped his jaw with her hand and closed the distance between them once more.

“Do that again, please,” she breathed as their lips met and his heart just about burst through his ribs. He shifted to face her more fully, sliding his fingers into her silken blonde waves, and kissed her with a fervor that surprised both of them. It was as if all of a sudden, he couldn’t get enough of her; like he’d finally figured out the answer to one of life’s greatest mysteries and he needed to absorb every bit of it. She was soft and warm in his arms, and the tiny sounds she was making were driving him barmy. He was just about to scoop her up and set her in his lap when a very loud, very insistent throat was cleared and the two of them sprang apart like they’d both been hexed

“The library is closing in two minutes,” Madam Pince was glaring down at them from the edge of their shared table. Immediately, they gathered their books and scrolls, while Luna trilled an airy “thank you” to the severe librarian. Theo muttered a chagrined apology as he stuffed the last of his supplies in his bag and pushed in both of their chairs. He met the stern witch’s beady stare and was almost positive he saw the corner of her moth twitch like she was trying not to smile. He nodded his farewell and followed Luna as she glided towards the exit. He’d been following her ever since.

He’d spent a few days of the Easter Holiday with the Lovegoods, and though he had felt entirely out of place at first, he quickly learned that neither of them stood on ceremony or adhered to any strict societal rules. Xenophilius could be found puttering around at all hours - day or night - whenever the mood struck him, and not a single nook or corner of the bizarre dwelling was off-limits. While not a structure that would even remotely be considered large, the turret-like home was chock full of interesting things and Theo was rather certain objects moved about of their own accord. He had gotten used to Luna’s frank approach to life and wasn’t surprised to find her father was the same way. Sometimes, a simple statement about the weather would turn into a deep and lengthy discussion about abstract theories and the purpose of existence. Other times, what most might consider a personal or delicate question would be met with a bluntly honest response that required no further exposition. By the time they needed to return to school, he’d truly been reluctant to leave and had told Luna as much.

“It’s always hard to leave home, but there’s comfort in knowing you’ll return, isn’t there?” She had fixed him with another of her indecipherable looks when she said that, and he was positive she had been specifically referring to her house as his home, too, and for the very first time in his life, Theo felt like he really _had_ been home. The idea filled him with warmth and contentment, though a small part of his brain was panicking at the idea of getting so attached when there was no guarantee he’d be invited back, but once again, the airy witch seemed to read his mind.

“Don’t worry, the dirigibles will still be here in the summer,” she nodded towards the purple fruits that had caught his eye, and flashed him a beaming smile before kissing him gently and floating back towards the house to finish packing.

Back at school, he’d tried to maintain an air of cool, unaffected enjoyment towards their budding relationship, but he knew it was a lost cause. He poked fun of Draco for the way he stared adoringly at Hermione and the fact that he sat as close to her as humanly possible in every single situation, but he might as well have been pointing at himself, too. Having never been in any sort of relationship before, he wasn’t exactly sure how to proceed; not wanting to come on too strong, but also needing Luna to know he cared deeply for her. He spent an indecent amount of time agonizing over every word they exchanged, every look she gave him, every moment they shared. He was in the midst of one of his mental circus acts when he happened to overhear his name being spoken in the common area beyond his mostly-closed door in their Eighth Year House.

Peeking through the minuscule space where the door remained cracked open, he was able to catch a glimpse of a head of riotous brown curls and knew Hermione was sitting on the couch in front of the fireplace.

“You seem very happy with him, I’m so glad for you,” the Gryffindor Princess was saying, and he heard the same sincere tone to her voice she used with everyone.

“Oh, I am! Theo is lovely. He’s very intelligent, and a lot more sensitive than people realize,” the responding voice came from his favorite witch, and though he felt a little guilty about eavesdropping, it made his heart swell to hear her speak so complimentary of him.

“I’ve really enjoyed getting to know him this year,” Hermione stated, “I had no idea he was such an avid reader, and he’s got a wicked sense of humor.” Her observation was punctuated with a chuckle and he couldn’t help grinning as he considered that the same could be said for the petite brunette - she had a sassy streak he’d never anticipated and fully understood why she was the perfect match for Draco.

“He is very funny. Well, at least this year he has been. I don’t think he had a lot to joke about previously,” Luna said thoughtfully, “I think both of our Slytherins have been able to relax and enjoy this year the way most students have taken for granted all along. They’ve let down their guard, and they seem much happier for it.”

“I couldn’t agree with you more,” Hermione said softly.

“Did I tell you what he did for my birthday?” Theo almost groaned aloud at the question, his cheeks turning red as he fought the urge to run away from this overheard conversation, but his feet stayed rooted to the spot. Hermione must have responded in the negative, because Luna continued on.

“He found an entire set of Cassandra Vablatsky’s published works, all first editions, including “ _Second Sight Speculatives_ ” which is extremely rare.”

“Oh wow, that’s incredible,” Hermione agreed enthusiastically.

“Yes, the books were an impressive gift on their own, but it’s the reason he went to such great lengths to get them that matters the most to me. I told him that Cassandra was my mother’s favorite author, and that she referenced her works regularly as she honed her own craft. She’d never had the complete set, and what she did have was destroyed when the Death Eaters raided our house. While we were able to rebuild and repair most things, we lost a fair number of books and scrolls, and several of Daddy’s inventions.”

“Oh, Luna, I’m so sorry,” Hermione began, but her blue-eyed friend cut her off.

“No, no, please don’t apologize. It all worked out in the end, and now I have the books. Even though they aren’t the ones my mother actually owned, the fact that Theo hunted each one of them down just so I could have a piece of her back means more to me than I can say.” Luna paused for a moment and both girls sniffled, while Theo blinked furiously in his hiding place. “It’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me,” her voice was barely above a whisper and the emotion behind her words caused a lump to form in his throat.

“That’s wonderful, Luna. He truly seems like a great guy.”

“Oh, he is! He’s definitely one of the best. I think we’ve both got terrific wizards in our lives, and I plan to keep mine around for as long as possible,” she giggled as her voice dropped conspiratorially and Hermione joined in, clearly nodding her head in agreement.

“He gets me, which I know is difficult for most people, and he loves me for who I am. That’s all I need,” Luna signed dreamily.

It was then that Theo finally moved away from the door. Still red in the face from all the endearing things Luna had said, yet absolutely fit to burst with joy over her declaration about wanting to stay with him. He did love her, he knew that to be true with every fiber of his being. If he had his way, he’d never let her go, and would follow her to the ends of the Earth if she asked (and knowing her penchant for following random creatures around, that might actually be the case one day).

That was precisely how he found himself sitting on that garden wall, how he wound up going home with her for the summer. He still had a few things to deal with as far as his ancestral estate was concerned, but Nott Manor wasn’t home anymore, if it ever really had been in the first place. He planned to divest himself of it as quickly and thoroughly as possible, and would use the money to help the Lovegoods however he could. Xeno had welcomed him back with great enthusiasm and had already mentioned several projects and ideas he wanted the young man’s help with. Every day was different and quirky, and nothing was ever viewed as odd or impossible. He loved the discussions they engaged in around the table, and found the peaceful countryside to be a restorative draught for his spirit. Luna was right, he was happy - honest to Merlin beyond content - for possibly the first time in his life, and it had everything to do with her. She loved him; believed in him; thought he was worth her time and attention; thought he was one of the good guys, and he promised himself he would do whatever it took to keep it that way.

**_“A love me like he should one. Like he wrote the book one. The kind you find when you don't even look one. Anybody can be good once. But he's good all the time. He's one of the good ones. And He's all mine.” ~ Gabby Barrett_ **

**Author's Note:**

> Because I am a sappy romantic, and this is one of my fav songs, I needed to bring it to life. I decided to go with my second favorite fictional couple (Dramione will always be first in my heart), since they just seemed to fit better with it. I hope you've enjoyed it! Thanks for reading <3


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